arquea arquitetos adds wooden curtain to brazil's building

located on a narrow site in downtown curitiba in brazil, 1232 building is a project by arquea arquitetos that aims to gives the space the best use for a program of four studios. the two-story building creates a continuous relationship between the private and public space as the passersby can see the back of the plot from the street. arranged around a central atrium with stairways and walkways, each floor has two apartments — one facing the street and the other facing the garden. the kitchen and service areas open to the atrium, thus ensuring ventilation and natural light.

a continuous relationship between public and private space 
all images by leonardo finotti

the apartments designed by arquea arquitetos maintain a spatial relationship of continuity with a glass street façade that is equipped with wooden bristles and curtains that give privacy and can adapt to the divers inhabiting modes. the structure is reinforced in concrete and masonry with a prefabricated slab panel system which functions similarly to a slab — this allows for the absence of beams in the front and rear edge, making the façade visually lighter.

the apartments on the back face the garden

the chosen color palette contains discreet colors like white, black and gray and the material selection remained honest with concrete and wood. the overall look highlights the design of the architecture and shows the relationship between light and shadow. cozy and provocative, this small building stands out for its proportionality of form and its architectural simplicity.

arranges the four apartments are arranged around a central atrium

each floor has two apartments — one facing the street and another facing the garden

wooden brises vertically aligned along the walkways

interior of the back apartment

interior of the front apartment

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom